Common use of Optical Cross Point Switch Clause in Contracts

Optical Cross Point Switch. The OXS technology belongs to a category known as spatial switching, which operates by simply deflecting the optical beam to different directions to realise switching (see Figure 10). Competing technologies do exist in the same category, with both slow and fast switching speeds. Venture Photonics are developing an OXS. The OXS core switch device uses two active vertical couplers (AVC) formed between the passive bus grid waveguides and an optical amplifying active layer. A total internal reflecting mirror (TIRM) deflects the light carried in the active layer. Switching operation is achieved by both enabling optical coupling in the AVC and increasing optical transmission in its active layer simultaneously through current injection. When no current is injected, the coupled optical signal could pass through the bottom waveguide. Upper active layer is highly absorptive with quite low signal leakage. Carrier injection induces refractive index change and optical gain in upper waveguide layer as switching mechanism. With injected current, the optical signal is switched to the cross output, optical gain is also experienced, which can offset the fibre-chip coupling loss.

Optical Cross Point Switch. The OXS technology belongs to a category known as spatial switching, which operates by simply deflecting the optical beam to different directions to realise switching (see Figure 109). Competing technologies do exist in the same category, with both slow and fast switching speeds. Venture Photonics are developing an OXS. The OXS core switch device uses two active vertical couplers (AVC) formed between the passive bus grid waveguides and an optical amplifying active layer. A total internal reflecting mirror (TIRM) deflects the light carried in the active layer. Switching operation is achieved by both enabling optical coupling in the AVC and increasing optical transmission in its active layer simultaneously through current injection. When no current is injected, the coupled optical signal could pass through the bottom waveguide. Upper active layer is highly absorptive with quite low signal leakage. Carrier injection induces refractive index change and optical gain in upper waveguide layer as switching mechanism. With injected current, the optical signal is switched to the cross output, optical gain is also experienced, which can offset the fibrefiber-chip coupling loss.